Gallows View by Peter Robinson

Chief Inspector Alan Banks has just moved North from London for a quieter life.  Crime in Eastvale, in the Yorkshire district, isn't as brutal or common as in his former job, leaving more room for his marriage and family.  But things have been heating up lately in Eastvale.

First, there is the Peeping Tom.  Blonde women have been his target, and several have caught him spying on them as they change clothes and get ready for bed.  Then there are a series of break-ins.  Those seem like teenage crimes, with vandalism thrown in along with the robberies.  Finally, Eastvale has seen a murder.  An elderly woman apparently opened her door at night to the wrong person and ended up dead.  Banks has his work cut out for him.

Then there are the family complications.  He and Sandra have a strong marriage, one that can accommodate his hectic work life and his sudden enthusiasms.  His latest passion is opera, but no one else in the family can stand the music that he plays constantly.  A more serious issue is the lovely psychologist the department has hired to consult on the Peeping Tom crimes.  There is an immediate attraction between her and Banks, and he isn't sure how to handle it.

Gallows View is the first Inspector Alan Banks mystery in Peter Robinson's long running series.  Readers will recognize him from the BBC series about his cases, and will enjoy reading how the entire series got started.  The crimes are run of the mill, until they suddenly come together in a stunning climax.  This book is recommended for mystery lovers.